Cycle saddle



Feb. 15, 1944. H. E. KALTER 2,341,720

CYCLE SADDLE Filed May 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HAROLD Km. TEE

F1916 BY I H. E. KALTER 2,341,720

CYCLE SADDLE Feb. 15, 1944.

Filed May 15, 1941 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Harem 1 KALTER Patented Feb. 15, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE @YCLE SADDLE Harold E. Kalter, Elyria, Ohio, assignor to The Troxel Manufacturing Company, Elyria, Ohio, a corporation or Ohio Application May 15, 1941,:Seria1 No. 393,379

3 Claims.

My invention relates to cycle saddles and relates more particularly to an improved method of construction for the same. My invention relates more particularly to improvements over prior cycle saddles of the type employing a sheet metal frame underlying a cushioning pad having a cover of leather or imitation leather material, or the like, and provided with a pendant skir't portion usually of the same material and commonly being an extension of the material-of the said cover.

An object of my invention is to so dispose the cushioning pad and cover therefor, as to effect an economy in manufacture, and, at the same time,

provide a saddle having utilitarian advantages over prior saddles.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cycle saddle wherein the cushioning pad is protected from laterally directed extraneous blows, or from being scraped against extraneous objects against which the lateral portions of the cycle saddle may come in contact.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved saddle which willeliminate the binding and the inner leather covering necessary in ing further steps in process of making such saddles with resultant reduction in the cost of making saddles.

My invention further contemplates so forming the saddle as to provide a saddle skirt portion of such improved construction as to diminish frictional engagement between the said skirt portion of the saddle and the legs of the operator of the cycle with which said saddle is associated whereby greater comfort to the rider results.

It is an object of my'invention therefore to provide an improved cycle saddle which will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

Another object'of my'invention is to provide an improved cycle saddle which will be neat in appearance, efiicient in use and highlydurabl'e.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved cycle saddle which will have improved riding qualities. r

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will become increasingly apparent by reference to thefollowing description and'drawin-gs of an embodiment of'my invention, in which drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the improved cycle saddle of my-invention showing the same as secured to asaddle post by reach means;

Fig. 2 is a top planview of the-saddle of Fig. '1

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan viewo'i'the saddle s'truc tureofFig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the saddle ir'am'e constituting -a portion of my improved "cycle saddle, as shown in Fig. 1

Fig. 5 is a perspective views: the bottom of the leather padded portion of the-saddle or Fig. -l and Fig. 6 is a fra-g-menta'ry side sectional View o'f the rear portion of the cycle saddle taken o-n-lirie '6-6 of Fig. 3, Showing the method or attachment-of the l ea'ith'er padded cover or Fig. 5 to the metal frame member shown in Fig. 4.

Referring now to'the drawings which'illustrat'e merely one of varying embodiments of my inven tion, the cycle saddle of said embodiment is of the type commonly employed in velocipede's and more particularly to juvenile bicycles, although my invention is not limited to such use, but-is of wide application.

In the drawings'at l, Ishow a. main frame element preferably formed as a sheet metal stamping, which may be generally described as comprising a generally pear-shaped body portion having a centrally disposed generally ear shaped depressed floor portion 2, preferably slightly concave'd intermediate its cantle and pommel portions, and surrounding said fl'o'or ortion, I form thesta-mp'in'g to provide a preferably continuous upwardly extending floor bounding wall 3, and then as an extension of the sheet metal of theirame reaches an uppermost crest 3'-, it then extends downwardly and outwardly tb form the cycle saddle'skirt 4. A

Expressed otherwise, the bounding wall 3 and theskirt '4 are joined at crest 3' to form a preferably continuous ridge with the shorter wall 3' thereof surrounding and bounding the floor 2 to define a concavity'in the upper central surface of theirame.

"The skirt 4 provides a saddle border portion depending from the uppermost crest of the bounding wall 3, and is preferably outwardly flared throughout its extent.

In'order to provide for means to firmly secure a cushioning seat'element 5"within 'theconcavity of the saddle may be secured thereto, said element being best illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 herein.

Said cushioning element 5 comprises a sheet metal stamping 5 of substantially the same contour throughout as that defined by the depressed floor portion 2 of the frame I and its outer periphery is of only slightly less diameter than that of the inner rim portion 3 whereby it is adapted, when covered with a covering 1 of leather, fabric or other flexible material superposed over a layer of hair 6 or other cushioning material, to be snugly enclosed by the upwardly extending bounding walls 3 of the frame I, the walls 3 thus protecting the cushioning material and guarding the same from lateral blows, the walls 3 constituting a bounding ridge of metal.

The peripheral edges of the leather covering material I are adapted to be folded over the stamping 5 about its outer periphery, as shown .atB, said rim or salvage edges being preferably glued or otherwise cemented to the bottom of said metal stamping. Said metallic base 5,

:as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6, is preferably provided with perforations 9' disposed centrally of substantially cylindrical depressions I formed in the said stamping said perforations being also three in number and provided, as are those disposed in the main frame element I, one being placed forwardly in the pommel portion and two .in the cantle portion ofthe saddle whereby these perforations are adapted to align with the perforations provided in the metal stamping I of Fig. 4.

Bolts 9, the heads of which lie within the depressions Ill, are secured in each of the perforations 9, before assembling the cushioning material and flexible cover, as by deforming portions of the bolt shanks to provide retaining lugs II.

One of the bolts is omitted from Fig. 5 to illustrate the construction.

In assembling the metal stamping I and the edges 8 of the flexiblecovering I are thereby clamped firmly between the stamping 5' and the ,fioor portion 2 and are concealed from view.

Instead of the bolt and nut assembly described any suitable manner of rigidly afiixing the cushioning element 5 on the frame floor 2 may be employed, since I am aware of many alternative means for suitably effecting retention of the cushioning element on the floor 2 and within the bounding walls 3.

To secure compression and tension springs, as shown in Fig. 1, at I4 to the said cycle saddle, clips l5 are provided through which the said bolts 9 are further projected, the ends of said clips being interposed between said washers I2 and the bottom surface of said frame I, as shown in Fi 6. t I t The same securing means is used to secure the forward yoke portion of the cycle saddle reach member to the saddle, asshown in Fig. 3, but the particular means of securing the clips, spring and reach means to the saddle is not an essential feature of my invention and any suitable means may be used to secure the reach assembly and springs to the cycle saddle of my invention.

The securing of the cushioning pad 5 within the protective substantially channel-shaped enclosure formed by the angularly meeting frame Wall portions 2 and 3, prot'ects the lateral andother surfaces of the cushioning seat 5 from extraneous blows or abrasive effects of contact with extraneous objects, so that the durability of the cushioning seat and the appearance thereof is preserved during use of the cycle saddle.

While the embodiment of my invention herein described comprises a substantially rigid sheet metal body portion, I am aware that the same could be embodied in saddles otherwise the same but comprising such substitute materials as cast aluminum or the like; or the body could be made su-fliciently rigid as to be the full equivalent of that described by making it of molded plastic materials now commonly employed for many articles as a substitute for steel sheet material.

I consider it important however that the body should be pre-formed to provide a pendant convexly curved marginal skirt at the side portions where a cycle riders legs would make rubbing reciprocatory contact. The precise form of the other skirt portions is functionally less important.

Again, it is important that the uppermost portion of said skirt side portions should meet with the upwardly extending sides of the shallow saucer-like depressed upper surface of the body which occupies substantially all of the area of the body within the confines of said most upwardly disposed skirt portion at said saddle side portions on substantially a line of merger, this being accomplished by abruptly and convexly curving the uppermost said portions of said depression and skirt at said sides on a short radius.

By virtue of such a formation, at the juncture of the said depressed and skirt portions at said cycle saddle sides, the so-called overstuffed seat cushion, secured inwardly of its margin against the floor of the depression by appropriate clamp,- ing means such as that illustrated and comprising the plate 5, and bolt and nut 9 and I3 respectively, bulges laterally and upwardly in the region of the line of skirt and depressed portion merger so that unpleasant clothing abrading frictional contact is substantially entirely absent at the upper edge corners of the complete saddle in contradistinction to previously proposed saddles having rigid body portions with such rigid portions forming the saddle skirt.

In the accompanying claims, I employ the term overstuffed in the sense of defining the upwardly and outwardly bulged form of the cushion and without limiting the term to exclude cushion seat otherwise formed and operating in the same manner as described but wherein the interior of the cushion is not actually provided by a stuffing operation.

It is further to be noted that the improved cycle saddle of my invention consists of but a few parts, is easily assembled-and is neat in appearance. Further, it is to be noted that the curved outwardly and downwardly extending fairly wide skirt portions are highly polished, the exposed outer face of the same being buffed or plated with a metal such as chromium and then buffed, thereby providing a wide metal bead finish entirely around the saddle, and hence little friction is had between the clothing of a cycle rider and the metallic surface of the skirt, ensuring the utmost comfort to the rider,'said generally curved skirt portions eliminating the stitched side portions of the prior art or the narrow bead of the prior art which contacted the sides of the riders legs and caused discomfort. g

Although I have shown and described preferred forms of my invention, I contemplate that ly curvilinearly merged at the sides of the body by its uppermost rim substantially on a line of merger with said most upwardly disposed portion of the skirt, and an overstuffed type of cycle seat cushion having its lower portion closely confined within the lateral Walls of the depressed surface and its upper portion extending upwardly above and but slightly laterally within said line of merger, and means to secure said cushion in place upon the floor of said depressed surface.

2. The cycle saddle substantially as characterized in the preceding claim but limited to the recited cushion securing means comprising a sheet metal plate element disposed closely Within the marginal confines of the cushion and close to the bottom thereof, and an element of said means for holding said sheet metal plate element with an interposed substantially marginal lowermost layer of said cushion in relative clamping superposed relation upon said depressed floor.

3. A cycle saddle comprising a substantially rigid form-sustaining plate-like body, said body preformed to provide at the sides thereof a pendant downwardly convexly curved marginal skirt and a shallow saucer-like depressed upper surface occupying substantially all of the area of said body within the confines of the most upwardly disposed portion of said skirt, and being abruptly and convexly curvilinearly merged at the sides of the body by its uppermost rim substantially on a line of merger with said most upwardly disposed portion of the skirt, and an overstufled type of cycle seat cushion having its lower portion closely confined within the lateral walls of the depressed surface and its upper portion extending upwardly above and but slightly laterally within said line of merger, and means to secure said cushion in place upon the floor of said depressed surface.

HAROLD E. KALTER. 

